Is that the generally accepted best approach now? Most people I know that have installed a solar PV system recently have included battery storage.Now with the FIT would recommend you avoid a battery, just go for a standard inverter (get a 6kw to future proof it) which is half the price of a hybrid (needed for a battery) and spend the extra money on more panels. It’s also a good time to upgrade your hot water tank if needed.
An eddi is now questionable with the FIT as it will be better to send back to the grid and then heat the water on night rate. This of course is just looking at it purely from the financials, it can be quiet a nice feel good factor to heat water on solar and from a carbon reduction point of view self consumption is best.
If you want a battery in future you can always add one with a second smaller standard inverter and this will give you more control than bi a hybrid.
A C3 is a bit low and you will not be able to realistically use the PV for space heating but your gas consumption seems very low (average house is 11kwh per year). So you haven’t a lot to gain by spending big on heat loss reduction. Are you spending a lot on solid fuel for open fires?
Not sure if it’s widely accepted but remember the battery grant is only recently gone and FIT is very recent in this country (not one cent yet paid) so will take awhile to break the battery mindset.Is that the generally accepted best approach now? Most people I know that have installed a solar PV system recently have included battery storage.
All of what you're looking for is readily achieveable. How is your roof orientation, being a bungalow, what way do your roof pitches face? South facing is best in terms of pure generation but east and west link in better with early morning and evening usage to get production over a longer period.We are looking at getting PV panels and are looking to get a quote. Before we do I want to understand better what the options are. We have a detached bungalow of approx 2400 sq feet. It's a C3 rating. We have plenty of roof space for panels.
Our heating is gas heating and it is split into radiators in the older part of the house and underfloor heating in the newer extension. Both are a similar size. Our annual usage is approx 5000 kw for electricity and 4000 kw for gas. We have a couple of fuse boxes in the house with a couple more in the garage and shed. But we have one electricity meter which is not a smart meter.
We have separate controls for heating the water, the radiators and the underfloor heating.
We would like to get panels for the electricity and also to heat the water both for showers and for the rads/underfloor heating.
We would also like to a battery for storage. We are based in Kildare.
Could anyone advise whether what I am looking for is possible as I don't know how the panels work with water heating and underfloor/rads? Is there also an issue with us not having a smart meter? Also could anyone recommend a company to request a quote from covering Kildare area.
Any other suggestions or advice welcome. Many thanks in advance.
That is a really good point, I never thought of that. I have an Eddi and it has been happily providing all my hot water since April. Yesterday was the first day the gas had to kick back in to heat up the tank. But you are correct, once the FIT comes in (I know technically it is in) but once they actually start paying you, it would make more sense to sell the excess solar at 18c and use nighttime at 9c.While FIT is higher than the night rate a battery or water diverter will never pay for itself.
Anything I've been reading suggests the the payback just isn't there for the battery systems even without the FIT.Most people I know that have installed a solar PV system recently have included battery storage.
We encourage people to post recommendations publicly so that others can benefit.If anyone has recommendations for an installer to get a quote in the Kildare area please let me know. Or PM me please if not allowed on the thread.
Will it also add to the cost of the installation?Anything I've been reading suggests the the payback just isn't there for the battery systems even without the FIT.
Unless people are considering battery systems as backup in the event of power outages, but that adds to the complexity of the installation.
While FIT is higher than the night rate a battery or water diverter will never pay for itself.
Yeah, you'll need the system to be able to split from the grid while still powering the house, or perhaps just selected appliances for the duration of the outage.Will it also add to the cost of the installation?
You've answered your own question!Thanks all for your replies. That is really helpful and increased my knowledge. I'll do some research on the suggestions.
As many of you pointed out there is a major typo. My annual gas usage which is in fact approx 45,000 kWh. So quite a considerable difference!! It is the gas heating that is the biggest usage and cost here.
Technically you can charge at night then discharge to the grid during the day, it makes little sense to do so though. Firstly I’m not sure anybody is doing an 8c night rate any more, mine is now 16c. Even if you could get it at 8c, the 6c profit would take years to pay off the cost of the battery, many many years more than the battery will actually last. It makes more sense to charge the battery at night and then just use it during the day to offset your normal usage which you’ll be paying 30c+ for.I am told that currently you can charge the battery from the mains at night for 8 cent and get 14 cent on the feed in tariff during the day ?
Im only recommending the solar thermal as there is so much roof space on a bungalow, one or two panels is all that's requried to cover summer hot water needs and they're relatively inexpensive. The cost of the PV diverter to heat water from the excess solar doesn't make sense anymore with FIT being so high and this taking so much electricity compared to heating water with gas. Ditto batteries but to a lesser extent likely with peak tarrifs beign rolled out to all.I wouldn't bother with solar thermal panels at all. Like FANTANA suggests, max out your solar PV panels. You can always use the excess electricity to heat water if you want. Or sell to the grid, or charge your car, or phone, or batteries, or run the washing machine etc. Whereas once solar thermal panels heat your hot water, there is nothing you can do with the excess.
Very true, especially for those with zoned heating where there is a separate hot water circuit. We have oil heating which is more expensive than gas, my water heating for the 4 months of June to September last year (no space heating used during that time) consumed ~170l of oil, ~€230 at today's prices.The cost of the PV diverter to heat water from the excess solar doesn't make sense anymore with FIT being so high and this taking so much electricity compared to heating water with gas.
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